A 52-year-old air conditioner in Ontario, Canada, has highlighted both the value of careful maintenance and the trade-offs of keeping aging appliances in service.
Lois Kemp, a 95-year-old resident of Pickering, won a local contest for the oldest working AC after her Fedders unit, installed in 1974, was still cooling her home.
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As CP24 reported, her son, Steve Kemp, said the system had been remarkably dependable over the decades, adding, "I don't ever recall it breaking down."
Lois Kemp said she had bought it with some of a $1,000 lottery prize connected to fundraising for Montreal's Olympic Stadium.
Button's Heating and Air Conditioning in Durham Region organized the competition and got 107 entries from households whose older AC units were still running.
The company determined Kemp's was the oldest of the bunch, and Nigel Charlton of Button's Heating and Air Conditioning said it was "cooling the house very well."
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Some older appliances can stay in service for decades, while newer ones do not always seem as durable.
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Still, durability is only part of the picture. Charlton said that if something went wrong with Kemp's aging unit, "you wouldn't be able to fix it," and he said a replacement would be "quieter and a lot less trying on her energy bill."
Even if an older furnace or AC still runs, it may use far more electricity than a newer high-efficiency system, quietly driving up monthly bills.
The cheapest option is not always to keep older equipment running for as long as possible. In many cases, replacing outdated heating and cooling systems can mean more predictable comfort, fewer repair issues, and lower energy costs.
What can be done?
Routine upkeep appears to have contributed to its unusually long life: the family kept the unit covered in winter and cleaned it every spring.
A high-efficiency HVAC or heat pump can reduce energy use, improve comfort, and offer some protection against future utility rate hikes.
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Kemp's old unit may have been a rare survivor, but her family's approach still offers a useful reminder: "If you look after something, it will look after you."
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